Lead, State & Local Government Affairs

About The Role at Shopify

Shopify's U.S. Government Affairs team is seeking a strategist to manage state and local government relations nationwide. In this pivotal role, you will build and nurture relationships with policymakers across all 50 states, define priorities on issues vital to merchants, and actively influence policy outcomes. Your deep understanding of Shopify’s products and business will be crucial in translating complex information into clear policy positions, ensuring Shopify's voice is heard and respected. This role aims to establish Shopify as a trusted policy partner and a credible voice in the legislative arena.

The mission of the Government Affairs team includes:

• Developing and broadcasting Shopify’s positioning on a wide variety of policy issues.
• Preventing, managing, and mitigating political, legislative, and regulatory threats to Shopify.
• Promoting a political, legislative, and regulatory environment that supports growth and innovation for entrepreneurs and small businesses.

This position requires more than just navigating the current political landscape; it demands pioneering new approaches. We are looking for a seasoned strategist with a proven track record of successful state and local government engagement, coupled with the ingenuity to reimagine conventional methods. You will need a strong foundation of past experience combined with the inventiveness to adapt, innovate, and execute a uniquely Shopify strategy within complex, rapidly evolving environments.

Responsibilities

• Build and maintain a robust network of relationships with key decision-makers in state and local governments, leveraging these connections to effectively advocate for Shopify's policy priorities, complementing federal strategies.
• Develop and execute strategies that align Shopify's business objectives with legislative initiatives, ensuring our voice is at the forefront of critical discussions.
• Serve as a primary spokesperson in high-stakes conversations with policymakers, advocating strongly for a conducive regulatory environment.
• Facilitate impactful connections between policymakers and Shopify merchants, leveraging key narratives informed by the company’s unique dataset and insights into the ever-changing commercial ecosystem, ensuring community insights are woven into public policy discussions.
• Manage relationships with state-based leadership in trade associations and other stakeholders, ensuring cohesive advocacy efforts and alignment on policy initiatives, and, as needed, any external resources Shopify has on the ground in state capitals.

Requirements

• Extensive experience in state government affairs at a senior leadership level, with a proven track record of influencing policy and driving advocacy strategy.
• A willingness to travel domestically, as needed, for in-person meetings with policymakers and other key stakeholders.
• An established network among key stakeholders in target states, along with a comprehensive understanding of the political landscape.
• Expertise in critical policy areas relevant to Shopify, including artificial intelligence, privacy, and platform regulation.
• Demonstrated ability navigating complex, multi-stakeholder policy environments across different jurisdictions.
• Proven track record of translating policy insights into actionable recommendations for product development or business strategy.

About Shopify

Shopify believes opportunity is not evenly distributed, striving to put independence within reach for anyone with a dream to start a business. They empower entrepreneurs and enterprises to reach their full potential. Since 2006, Shopify has grown to over 8,300 employees and generated over $1 trillion in sales for millions of merchants in 175 countries. This is life-defining work that directly impacts people’s lives as much as it transforms your own, empowering many voices and creating more choices.

About You

Working at Shopify involves navigating change, complexity, ambiguity, and even a bit of chaos. Shopifolk thrive in dynamic environments and are comfortable being uncomfortable. This means Shopify may not be the right place for everyone. Before applying, consider if you can:

• Care deeply about making commerce better for everyone.
• Excel by seeking professional and personal hypergrowth.
• Keep up with an unrelenting pace (the week, not the quarter).
• Be resilient and resourceful in the face of ambiguity, thriving on change.
• Bring critical thought and opinion.
• Effectively utilize AI agents and tools for appropriate tasks, focusing on human-centric work.
• Embrace differences and disagreement to achieve goals and progress.
• Work digital-first for daily tasks.

Key skills/competency

• Government Relations
• Policy Advocacy
• Legislative Strategy
• Stakeholder Engagement
• Public Policy
• Regulatory Affairs
• Political Landscape Analysis
• Artificial Intelligence Policy
• Privacy Policy
• Platform Regulation